Ditching-machine.



No. 834.645. BATBNTED 0011.30, 1906.v

J. sYLvBsTBRs-BN. DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ITB-17, 1906.l

2 SHEETS-SHEET INI/ENTOR.

ATTORNEYS ,'IINI'IED sra f y .IoRGEN II. s'vLvEsTERsEN,.or DUNDEE, ILLINOIS.

DITCHING-MACHINE.

' of making excavations for the laying of 'tile for draining purposes andthe like and the invention has particular reference to that type of ditching-machines an example of ywhich may be found in Letters Patent of the United States No. 774,458, granted to myself on the 8th day of November, 1904.

The present invention has for its object to f simplify and improve the construction and i will readilyappear as the nature of the in-,`

operation of this class `of machines, to improve thesteering-gear and thev means for regulating or gagingthe depth to which the machine shall cut, and to provide al landkwheel and improved supporting means for the same. i

f With these and other ends in view, which ventionis more fully understood, the same consists in the improved construction, novel arrangement, and combination of parts,

- j which will be hereinafter fully described,

zand' particularly-pointed out in the claims.

- In the accompanying :drawings has been illustrated-'a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made lto the precise structural details therein exhibited,

ut thatchanges, alterations, and modificationsl within the scope of the invention may .beresort'ed tok when desired.

In the drawings, Figure v1 is a side elevation of a ditching-machine constructed in accordancewith the principles ofthe invention.

v Fig. 2 is a vertical sectIonal view taken yon the plane indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa top plan view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the supporting means for the landwheel,.- showing the same detached fromv the machine. Fig; 5 is ap'erspective 'detail'view showing the guiding-shoe and,4

supporting means for the same.

Correspondingk parts. in the 'several figures are indicated throughout by similar characlters of reference. t

vThe improved ditching-machine embodies in its construction a cutting-frame compris` Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 17, 1906. Serial No. 301,668.

- shield 8, which sired direction.

TEs PATENT oEEIoE. f'

Patented oct. 3o, 1906. j i

ing aair of side members 1 2, connected vvat bers of the cutter-frame are connected iat their uCpper ends by means of a cross-piece 4."

The si e members 1 2 are com osedv of relatively thin and stout blades w ich will relatively cut into and through the soil, so as to enable a ditch or trench of the requisite depth to be dug Without excessive friction or resistance.

blade 3, the cut- The side member 2 at the landside of the machine is connected at its up er end with the front end of a top framear l5`,\Which may be constructed of angle-iron and which is connected, by means of an oblique brace,

with the top cross-piece 4. fTlIe frame-bar is provided near its rear end with downwardly-4 extending hangers 7, carrying a constitutes the landside of the machine.

Suitably connected with the rear side of the cutter 3 and with the rea'r side of the side y member 2 are a plurality of rearwardly-'extending guide-bars 9, which cooperate to constitute a moldboard upon which a slice-ofsoil excavated by the machine is elevated obliquely in a rearward direction and over? y turned at the side of the ditch or trench. The bars 9 constituting the moldboard are suitably s aced apart andare gradually tilted so as to eliver thev furrow-slice in thede- It will also be particularly observed that these guide-bars are smoothly,

evenly, and gradually curved from their i point of connection with the members 2 and 3 and to their terminal ends, angles or abrupt turns being entirely avoided, so that vthe ex: Y

cavated material will vmove smoothly and steadily in an upward direction to the point of discharge. Braces 10 are provided which serve to support the bars 9 at suitable inter- IOO vals and to retain them in the vdesired relative position, said braces being suitably connected with the frame-bar 5 and with the hangers 7.

Draft-bars 11y and y12 are connected, re-

spectively, with thefvertical cutting memj bers l and 2, one of said draft-bars, 12, being composed ofV two 4se arate members connected by a turnbuc e 13, so that the said draft-bar may be lengthened or shortened` to provide for the lateral adjustment of ,the

IIO

draft. 14 is a tubular bar having at its front end a depending fork 15 the side members of which are connected by a bolt 16,`with which the draft-bars 11 and 12 are connected. A draft-link 17 is also connected with the b olt 16,l for the direct attachment of the draft.

The fork 15 also carries a bolt or member 18, r

upon which is hingedly mounted a shoe 19, adapted to travel upon the surface of the ground in front of the machine, said shoe being provided with an upturned front end 20, whereby it is enabled to slide over such obstructions as may present themselves. T o provide for the vertical adjustment of the shoe, thereby gaging the depth to which the machine shall be permitted to cut into the ground, there is mounted upon the members 4, 5, and 6, which may be regarded as constituting the top of the machine, a bracket 21, in which is swiveled a screw 22, having an operating-crank 23, said screw operating in or through a nut 24 at the upper end of the tubular rod 14` It will be readily seen that by manipulating the adjusting-screw the shoe 19 may be raised or lowered within the requisite limits, which will be determined by the length of the screw, and that said shoe will be retained securely at various adjustments.

In keepers 25, which are secured upon the top of the machine, there is mounted a flat spring 26, which is preferably made up of a plurality of leads 27, said spring being retained adjustably in the keepers, as by means of set-screws 28. 29 is a bar which is provided at one end with a spindle 30, upon which a land-wheel 31 is sup orted for rotation. The opposite end of t e bar 29y has a kee er 32 surrounding the spring 26. Pivota ly connected with the outer end of the s .ring 26 is a link 33, that extends through a slbt 34 in the bar 29, said link being provided with a plurality of apertures 35 for engagement with a pin or securing member 36, that extends transversely through the bar 29, which latter may thus be adjustably connected with the link 33, thus enabling the land-wheel to be raised or lowered, according to the depth ofthe trench that is being dug. The land-wheel serves to sustain the machine in an upright position while in o eration, and the presence of said land-whee also greatly Jfacilitates the steering of the device. Owing to the resence ofk the spring 26 the land-wheel will readily pass over any obstructions that may be found in the path thereof without distorting the position of the machine or interfering with the successful operation of the latter.

A shoe 37 is provided,which is adapted to travel in the bottom of the trench that is beingA dug, said shoe being hingedly connected with a suitably-supported bracket member 38 beneath the moldboard of the machine. The shoe 37 is set well forward under the moldboard, where the strain upon the moldboard is the heaviest and where the support is most needed, the point at which the said shoe 37 is hingedly supported being in front of the forward extremity of the shield or landside 8. This is materially different.

from the construction exhibited in my former patent, No. 774,458, to which reference has iereinbefore been made, and where the shoe (there designated 28) extends to the rear of the shield or landside. By the present construction the plow is better fitted to resist the severe strain to which in practice it will be subjected.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

The construction is simple and inexpensive, and the machine has been practically found to be thoroughly efficient for the purposes for which it is designed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. ln a machine of the class described, a cutting-frame including side members and a bottom cutting-blade, in combination with spaced bars connected with one side member and with the bottom member of the frame, said bars being curved smoothly and evenly from their point of attachment to their terminal ends to constitute a moldboard free from angles and other obstructions to the passage of excavated material, a shield or landside, and a shoe hingedly supported beneath the moldboard, in front of the landside, in close proximity to the bottom cutting-blade.

2. In a machine of the class described and having a cutting-frame, a laterally-extending flat spring supported adjustably on top of said frame, a bar having a keeper engaging said spring, a link pivotally connected with the latter, means for connecting said link adjustably with the bar, and a land-Wheel su p,- ported for rotation upon the latter.

3. ln a machine of the class described, a cutting frame, a laterally extending flat spring su ported on top of said frame, a land-whee -carrying bar having a keeper engaging said spring, a link pivotally connected with the latter and extending through a slot in the land-wheel-carrying bar said link being provided with a plurality of apertures, and a connecting member extending transversely through the bar and through an aperture in the link.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingl as my own I have hereto axed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JRGEN H. SYLVESTERSEN.

Witnesses:

FRED J. BATT, H. C. WENDT. 

